Long Beach State University
28-27, 16-13
UC Davis
6-34, 5-24
Dirtbags Score Seven in the Eighth Inning for 13-1 Run-Rule Victory
5/27/2022 6:27:00 PM | Baseball
Long Beach State secured their fifth consecutive series win on Saturday.
Josh Haley got the spot start on Saturday, turning in the best outing of his career. In five innings, he allowed just one run on four hits and two walks while striking out a career-high seven Aggies. It marks the first win of the left-handers Long Beach State career.
The offense was consistent on Saturday, plating two runs on the third, two in the fifth, and then individual runs in each the sixth and seventh innings before erupting for seven in the eighth.
Alex Pimentel got the big inning started with a leadoff single followed by a Tyler White single. With two runners aboard, Tanner Carlson lined one into the right field corner for a two-RBI triple. Sebastian Murillo followed it with a bloop single to right for the third run of the inning.
The big hit of the frame came from Rocco Peppi two batters after the Murillo RBI knock. With two runners aboard, the redshirt freshman destroyed one to deep left for a long three-run home run. It is the fifth home run of the season and gives him 27 RBI in his debut season.
JUICE SENDS THIS ONE A LOOOOOONG WAY ?? pic.twitter.com/6Wcv5CS89T
— LBSU Dirtbags (@LBDirtbags) May 27, 2022
The next two hitters were retired, but a Connor Burns single followed by Pimentel's second hit of the inning put a pair of Dirtbags on the base paths once again. An infield single from pinch hitter Javier Rosales with an error on the play allowed Burns to score the seventh run of the inning.
With the mercy rule in effect, a shutout bottom of the eighth from Ethan Clough secured the 13-1, eight inning win for the Dirtbags. The right-hander earned his second save in the win throwing three shutout innings out of the bullpen allowing just two baserunners.
A historical note to make, a Haley strikeout in the third marked the 500th K of the season for Coach Valenzuela's pitchers. It is just the fifth time in program history that a Dirtbag pitching staff has reached 500 strikeouts in a single-season.
This @JoshHaley_20 strikeout marks the 5??0??0??th of the season for Coach Valenzuela's pitching staff!
— LBSU Dirtbags (@LBDirtbags) May 27, 2022
It is just the fifth time in program history, the team has totaled 500 strikeouts in a single-season ?? pic.twitter.com/62q9EXO659
The Dirtbags will go for the sweep in the final game of the season tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Haley, Josh (1-1)
L: Green, Bryan (2-6)
S: Clough, Ethan (2)
Batting:
2B: Peppi, Rocco 1
3B: Carlson, Tanner 1
HR: Peppi, Rocco 1
RBI: Carlson, Tanner 3 ; Murillo, Sebastian 1 ; Peppi, Rocco 4 ; Luttrell, Chase 1 ; Schulze, Peyton 2
SH: White, Tyler 1
SF: Schulze, Peyton 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Carlson, Tanner 1 ; Murillo, Sebastian 1 ; Long, Jonathon 3 ; Peppi, Rocco 4 ; Burns, Connor 1 ; Pimentel, Alex 2 ; White, Tyler 1
SB: Pimentel, Alex 1 ; White, Tyler 1
HBP: Pimentel, Alex 1
Batting:
RBI: Williams III, James 1
SH: Mico, J.D. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Plascencia, Omar 1
